James and Oliver Phelps facts for kids

Quick facts for kids James and Oliver Phelps
James (left) and Oliver (right) Phelps at Lucca Comics and Games 2011
Born	James Andrew Eric Phelps Oliver Martyn John Phelps (1986-02-25) 25 February 1986 (age 39) Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, England
Occupation	Actors podcasters
Years active	2000–present

James Andrew Eric Phelps and Oliver Martyn John Phelps are identical twin brothers born on February 25, 1986. They are famous English actors and podcasters. Most people know them for playing the funny twin characters, Fred and George Weasley, in the Harry Potter movies. They worked on the Harry Potter films from 2001 to 2011. Since then, they have continued to work together on many other exciting projects.

Early Life and School Days

James and Oliver Phelps were born in Sutton Coldfield, a part of Birmingham, England. Their birthday is February 25, 1986. They are the only children of Susan and Martyn Phelps. Oliver is a little bit older than James, by just 13 minutes! As they grew up, the twins went to Little Sutton Primary School. Later, they attended the Arthur Terry Secondary School. While they were filming the Harry Potter movies, they had special teachers on set. This helped them keep up with their schoolwork.

Acting Career Highlights

In the year 2000, James and Oliver decided to try something new. Even though they had never acted before, they went to an open audition in Leeds. They went through about six auditions. Finally, they got the exciting news: they were chosen to play Fred and George Weasley! Their first movie was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

When they first read the script, James was given the part of Fred. Oliver was given the part of George. They played these popular characters in all eight Harry Potter films.

Other Projects and Appearances

Besides acting, James also worked behind the scenes. He was a helper, called a runner, on the set of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. He also worked on the movie The Da Vinci Code.

In 2009, the twins acted together in a TV show called Kingdom. They played brothers in one episode. In 2012, they starred in a short film called A Mind's Eye. This film was about ideas from the famous thinker Plato. They also helped direct a film called Journey along the Thames. This film was shown during the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympics.

The twins have also been part of the Harry Potter Exhibition. They helped open it in Chicago in 2009. After that, they traveled to many cities and countries to tell people about the exhibition.

In January 2014, James and Oliver went to a Harry Potter Celebration in Orlando, Florida. Other actors from the movies, like Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood) and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom), were there too. They even did a live online chat. They answered questions from fans and talked about new parts of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

More recently, in 2024, the twins hosted a cooking show. It was called Harry Potter: Wizards of Baking. This show, based on the Harry Potter world, had six parts and was shown on Food Network.

Their Podcast: Normal Not Normal

The twins also have a podcast. You can find it on YouTube and other places like Spotify. The first season came out in 2017. In it, James and Oliver talked about their past travels.

The second season of their podcast started in 2020. This was during a time when many people were staying home. The twins interviewed different guests. They also shared stories about their own lives.

In 2021, they launched a third season. It was called "Normal Not Normal". This season was more organized and professionally made. They worked with a company called Stabl production. In this podcast, they talk about what "normal" really means. They have interviewed many famous people. These include wrestler Sasha Banks and actor Tom Hopper. They also talked with their former co-stars, like Katie Leung (Cho Chang) and Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood).

Helping Others and Family Life

James and Oliver are also involved in charity work. In 2003, they helped plant trees at the National Forest in Leicestershire. They planted birch and ash trees. These are the same types of wood used to make broomsticks in the Harry Potter films!

The twins support several charities. These include the Teenage Cancer Trust. They also help with events like the "Celebrity World Cup Soccer Six". They support the Virgin Money Giving drive and Cancer Research UK in Australia.

In their personal lives, Oliver married Katy Humpage in 2015. They have two daughters. James married Annika Ostle in 2016.

Film and Television Roles

This list shows movies and TV shows where James and Oliver acted together. For other projects, you can look up James Phelps and Oliver Phelps separately.

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: James y Oliver Phelps para niños

• List of twins